Wireless system senses vibration in industrial environments

The Echo Wireless vibration Monitoring System monitors the overall health of industrial machinery and provides notification when "warning" or "critical" levels are reached, its manufacturer IMI Sensors explains. The system "enables the integration of wireless transmitted data into existing legacy vibration systems and plant-monitoring controllers," the company adds. The capability is possible through a Modbus interface, newly released, which "greatly enhances both the Echo System and the user's existing vibration equipment," IMI Sensors notes.

The system's software includes an alarm panel, allowing industrial-environment managers to see the status of all monitored points and therefore avoid the manpower-intensive walk-around inspection method.

Echo Wireless uses its vibration sensor and junction box to transmit data to a single, central receiver. The 8-channel junction box is described by IMI Sensors as "a very cost-effective way for users to transmit vibration data from existing analog ICP accelerometers over long distances." The receiver can accept data from hundreds of sensors, and relays that data to a central server running the monitoring software.